London, May 6.
Are prices at last beginning to fall?' There are signs of it, but if this is the case the change will only just come in time. Let me state the reverse side of the picture rst. regarding their agreement arrived at a month ago, the railwaymen have now put forward a demand for an extra one pound a week, which means an addition of £17,000,000 to £20,000,000 a year. This demand is independent of any request which may be made by the locomotive men, who always act independently* and usually wait till the other railwaymen have got what they want and then add about five to ten shillings to the amount conceded. In all probability about half the sum will be given to the men and all railway travelling will yo up accordingly. Indeed, at the present rate, third-class travelling Il soon be about 2d. to 3d. mile.
The miners have just obtained two shillings extra a day,-and the dockers have secured their 16 shillings a day. Hence they may not be prepared, though partners of the Triple Alliance, to strike to help the railwaymen, if matters reach a crisis. To-morrow there is a ballot of omnibus-men in London. They are asking for an extra 10] shillings a week. The Company offer five shillings now, to be increased to six shillings next month, which was the settlement recently made with the tramwayman. Obviously, if the busman obtain the larger sum, then the tramwayman will strike to get the difference.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.